HIGH RESOLUTION LINE SCANNER

• Main Author: LEAN, ERIC G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.01.1978
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES

A high resolution line scanner for converting optical images into electrical signals by a means of photoconductor switches and strain induced resistor sensing. The line scanner includes (1) a plurality of parallel magnetoresistive stripes spaced apart on a low acoustic loss substrate, e.g., fused quartz, glass, etc., (2) a layer of photoconductive material having a time constant less than the time needed to read a line on a moving page covering one end of the magnetoresistive stripes and (3) a transparent electrode covering the photoconductor material and electrically connected to a power source. A scanning acoustic pulse is propagated in the substrate under the magnetoresistive stripes and induces an output by altering the resistivity of the magnetoresistive stripes when the photoconductive layer selectively connects the power source to the magnetoresistive stripes in accordance with an optical image impressed upon the layer.